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Flyers Trade Deadline Preview: Will Briere deal Ristolainen or Tippett? (BSH Podcast Ep. 97)

March 3, 2026·1 hr 4 min·5 clips

Why is Flyers coach John Tortorella saying Rasmus Ristolainen is 'a bit banged up' three days before the trade deadline?

1. Broad Street Hockey podcast episode 97 is recorded 72 hours before the 2026 NHL trade deadline, with hosts Ryan Gilbert and Joe DeMarini previewing what the Flyers should do. 2. Ryan Gilbert and Joe DeMarini are Broad Street Hockey contributors who also read broadstreethockey.com analysis into the discussion. 3. The episode's central argument is that Ristolainen must be traded for a first-round pick based on Briere's prior two deadline trades—both Sean Walker and Scott Laughton fetched firsts—and that a first-round offer is almost certainly already on the table. 4. Ristolainen took a maintenance day with 72 hours until the deadline, and Tocchet told media he is 'a bit banged up,' which Ryan criticizes as unnecessarily damaging trade value for a player who has been excellent since the Olympics. 5. Despite the maintenance day, Ryan argues Ristolainen has been one of the Flyers' best defensemen since returning from the Olympics, joining rushes and activating offensively in each game. 6. Ryan maps out the trade destinations: Buffalo revisiting Ristolainen after Parekh refused his NTC, Detroit after failing to land Tyler Myers, and teams like Dallas and Edmonton on the outskirts. 7. Ryan and Joe discuss the market dynamics: this deadline is reportedly a buyer's market with many similar rental players available, which compresses Ristolainen's return but does not eliminate the first-round floor. 8. Joe raises the option of not trading Ristolainen if the price isn't met, citing Briere's prior patience, but Ryan counters that Ristolainen's injury history makes waiting a risk—he may not be healthy again at the next deadline. 9. The hosts note that during the 31 games Ristolainen missed due to injury, the Flyers went 16-9-6, suggesting the team can function without him and making the trade less risky for playoff viability. 10. Owen Tippett is identified as the second most likely Flyer to move, at 25-33% odds, with the Bruins, Sabres, and Wild all reportedly interested. 11. Joe proposes a hypothetical Tippett trade to Minnesota for goaltender Jesper Walstedt—23 years old, 9-11 save percentage in 25 NHL games—as a way to solve the long-term goaltending question. 12. Ryan declines a Tippett-for-Shane-Wright package as the centerpiece, arguing Tippett is undervalued by Flyers fans, framing him as 'the Flyers' version of Jordan Kyrou—a player other fanbases would love to complain about.' 13. Ryan reveals Tippett has one goal in his last 10 games since a four-point performance against Colorado, illustrating his streakiness and the difficulty of evaluating his true ceiling. 14. The Flyers have one remaining salary retention slot—the last year for the Hagg and Laughton retention deals—forcing Briere to choose strategically where retention matters most for a Ristolainen deal versus secondary trades. 15. Jamie Drysdale is floated as a surprise secondary trade name—a pending RFA who has been steadily improving—with Joe noting a report linking Ottawa to him despite the Senators also reportedly being sellers. 16. Bobby Brink could be added to a Ristolainen package to inflate the return, and is also connected to Tampa Bay rumors separately. 17. Noah Cates and Brink to Minnesota in exchange for Ryan Hartman and a prospect is sketched as a hypothetical, though both hosts note the league doesn't value Cates as highly as Flyers fans do. 18. The episode format is freewheeling and speculative, mixing probability estimates, contract details, and specific prospect names, with viewer chat questions integrated throughout. 19. Flyers fans interested in detailed trade deadline scenario planning—contract retention, prospect evaluations, buyer and seller dynamics—will find this substantive and well-informed. 20. Listeners who want to know what actually happened at the deadline or who are not following Flyers roster minutiae will not find this useful.

As heard by us

A Flyers deadline debate that makes the possible returns the main event.

Ryan Gilbert and Joe DeMarini keep the focus on the Flyers' trade-deadline choices, especially the question of whether Danny Briere should move Rasmus Ristolainen or Owen Tippett.

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Why you'd press play

You want Flyers deadline chatter with real roster stakes.

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